Polk State freshman lands valuable opportunities with NASA, USF & more

Habiba Abouzaid says being a freshman shouldn’t stop anyone. She’s a great example.

Within her first year at Polk State College, Abouzaid has developed an impressive resume that includes programs such as the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars, the University of South Florida’s Research Experience for Undergraduates, Polk State-USF’s S-STEM TURNPIKE, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, and the STEM Club.

“Students shouldn’t say ‘I’m not going to apply for any internships or programs because I’m still a freshman or because I’m still at a community college and I can do that in my third or fourth year,’” she encouraged. “I went to conferences, I did my own research, and I’m doing the NASA program all within my freshman year.”

“Always look for opportunities, even if you’re a freshman, even if it’s your first semester.”

A native of Egypt, Abouzaid moved to Lakeland to live with family while she attends college. Polk State was close and affordable, so she enrolled in spring 2023 and quickly learned that opportunities abound at the College.

“Polk State has a lot of resources,” she said. “The community is small and it’s really easy to make a good impression on your professors and advisors. I started making connections, and I’m only a freshman.”

She is pursuing her Associate in Arts degree and plans to transfer to the University of South Florida to study Computer Science. She is benefiting from the Polk State-USF S-STEM TURNPIKE (Transfer Undergraduate Rural/Nontraditional Student Pathways Through Identity, Knowledge & Engagement) Program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and provides STEM students with a $10,000 scholarship each year to complete their studies first at Polk State and then at USF.

She is also an active member of the Polk State STEM Club, where she learned about the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) opportunity at USF. REU programs support research by undergraduate students in areas funded by the NSF.

Abouzaid collaborated with a fellow REU participant and USF faculty mentor to research and publish an abstract titled “Implementation of Kyber.” Kyber is a system that is secure and can prevent attacks against strong computers, including computers that are not even created yet and that are anticipated to be much stronger than the computers used today. Abouzaid and her peer used ChatGPT as an AI tool in research for coding implementation. The importance of their research was its focus on core differences between different versions of Kyber and its key functionality.

“What was interesting about this experience was that all the students I was with were math majors in their senior years, and I’m a computer science major in my freshman year,” Abouzaid explained. “It was a little overwhelming, but I was really happy that they chose me.”

“When you think of an REU, you think it’s highly selective and they won’t select you,” she added, “but when you put in the effort and send in your application and letters of recommendation, you give yourself the chance of being selected for these opportunities.”

“I want to inspire my fellow Polk State students to dive into campus life – it’s where you’ll find the connections, support, and information about opportunities like the ones I’ve seized. And to all students out there, don’t let being a freshman hold you back from applying for internships – opportunities are out there for us to explore well before graduation.”

She also encourages Polk State students to get involved on campus.

“What I love about the STEM Club is that there are always announcements about internships, research, and courses,” Abouzaid explained. “That’s how I also learned about the NASA internship program.”

She is currently enrolled in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars Program which provides online courses for students to prepare for applying for and participating in NASA internship opportunities.

“I want to inspire my fellow Polk State students to dive into campus life – it’s where you’ll find the connections, support, and information about opportunities like the ones I’ve seized,” Abouzaid said.

“And to all students out there, don’t let being a freshman hold you back from applying for internships – opportunities are out there for us to explore well before graduation.”

She expressed thanks to LSAMP Program Manager John Fynn, Professor of Mathematics Mike Malone, her mentors at USF, her family, and her friend Fenil Barot, Vice President of the Student Government Association for the Winter Haven Campus.